The Trade Matters project was developed in response to an International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD) brief exploring the importance of trade through typography and a chosen industrial tool. Focusing on the endangered craft of rope making at the historic Chatham Dockyard, I investigated the relationship between labour, machinery, and collaboration within the rope-making process. Through extensive historical research, I explored how the rope maker and rope separator functioned as interconnected elements within a system built on movement, precision, and shared physical effort.
The project combined editorial design, typography, photography, motion thinking, and 3D visualisation to communicate the cultural and industrial significance of the trade. Using Cinema 4D, I experimented with abstract forms and animation to recreate the rhythm, tension, and circulation involved in rope production, while archival imagery and typographic systems were used to construct a professionally designed publication. This project strengthened my understanding of research-led design and demonstrated how historical narratives can be translated into contemporary visual experiences through storytelling, experimentation, and multidisciplinary design practice.
